


Into the Mixing Bowl

by DisorganizedKitten



Series: The Spotlight Shines Brightest of All [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Alternate Universe - Future, Bri's an orphan guys. that's the death tags, But they're minor and only because I wanted a bit of drama, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Guardian Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Mentioned Murder, Minor Character Death, Near Death Experiences, Non-binary character, Unconvential Family Dynamics, non-romantic coparenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24580561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisorganizedKitten/pseuds/DisorganizedKitten
Summary: Family:1) the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children2) a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head3) a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation4) a people or group of peoples regarded as deriving from a common stock(5) the people who you value above all else)The Story of how Three Circus Runaways became One Circus Family
Relationships: Cole Calimeris & Bridgette Calimeris-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Bridgette Calimeris-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Cole Calimeris
Series: The Spotlight Shines Brightest of All [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776682
Comments: 6
Kudos: 8





	1. Month 11

**Author's Note:**

> So this is set up in the Circus Au/Greatest-Showman-but-not au that Starry (imshookandbi), Gen (the_navistar_carol), and I created a while ago.
> 
> Important Notes: * I'm not giving background here. It'll either come through exposition, or you'll have to wait until one of us writes more directly about it.  
> * The chapters will not be in order, but I'll try to at least set them up so you have some indicator of when it's happening.  
> * This is set in a maribat universe, but because I'm not pulling actual pieces of DC in during this set, I'm not adding the fandom tag.  
> * I have never been to a circus. In my life.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roughly Month 11

Left, right, duck, peek, left, forward, footsteps picking up speed, duck right, wait for them to pass, footsteps gone, peek out, start running, get caught-

Get caught?

“Mama! That’s cheating!”

Marinette laughed, hoisting Bridgette onto her shoulders. “Now Bri, whatever would make you say that?”

“You got off the floor!” The outraged six year old huffed. She crossed her arms for good measure.

Marinette, who had indeed used the aerial silks to sneak up on Bri, shrugged, as though she wasn’t a dirty cheat. “I don’t remember that being anywhere in the rules.”

“I’m telling Cole!” Bri pouted. “I can’t believe you _cheated.”_

“Well, we could always go again,” Marinette offered slowly. Bridgette took a moment to think, before leaning down. Mama just wanted to get away without Bri telling. Oh well.

“I’m still telling Cole.”

Marinette sighed dramatically as she let Bri back to the floor. “I suppose I deserve that.” She grinned, sharp and challenging. “Fifteen seconds, Bri, better get going!”

Bridgette took her advantage. “I’ll win this time, just you wait!” Marinette was _good,_ but Bri was going to grow up to be _better._ Even if they refused to let her do anything on the wires until she was ten. Renny and Mama were amazing on the wires, but insisted Bri wait. She didn’t like it, but Bri would wait. Only because she loved Renny and Mama.

Bridgette dashed to the door of the big top, slid to the side of Uncle Joseph, ducked under Franci’s arm as she talked animatedly with Rio about recoloring their act, and ran until she could hide behind the clown toys. She peeked back out, looking for Mama in the crowd. Marinette always came looking, and Marinette was a fast finder. Bri caught her high-fiving Raquel, and took the distraction to dash over to behind a trailer. She crept along the unpopulated side and peeked back to the crowd. She needed... wait for it… wait for it… there! Bridgette took her moment and ran right behind Marinette while she was duly distracted by another adult. She reached the big top again, and looked for better hiding places. She would have a few minutes before Marinette turned back to look, but Bri was _not_ going to hide in the same place twice in a row. That would be dumb!

***

“Fifteen seconds, Bri, better get going!”

Bridgette spun and ran off, cackling about how she would definitely win this time. Marinette smiled as she watched. She glanced up to where Cole was restringing the acrobatic equipment in sweats, and waved. They waved back, and then pointed vaguely outside the tent. Marinette laughed and started on her way.

She took a few seconds to let her eyes adjust to the full sunlight before she started looking for black hair. Well, short black hair. A decent amount of the other circus folk had black or brown hair, so the real clue here wasn’t just to look for black hair, but odd movements in the crowd and black hair on a short body. Marinette started walking around the bustle, ducking a ladder and high-fiving one of their clowns as she passed them.

She waved and smiled when she made eye contact before going back to looking for Bri. She had been in the Circus almost a full year now, and she knew everyone. She wasn’t even a new act anymore.

The real question was where Bri decided to run this time. Their trailer? The mess hall? To hide with Ginny and the knife throwers?

Marinette gave Ginny’s mom a salute which was returned and followed with a shrug. Haylee did not know if the girls were there. Marinette spun slowly, eyes catching on every detail out of place. It was a bit exhausting during set up and take down to see things like that so glaringly, but she risked more by breaking herself of the habit, so Marinette never had.

And there! Bri was ducking into the Hallway of Horrors. Brave kid. Marinette smiled and started after her.

Marinette slipped silently into the tented Hallway, waiting for movement. It was not her favorite attraction at the circus, but Marinette would do anything for Bridgette, and if that meant play tag in a poorly lit, year-round, halloween attraction then that was what Marinette was going to do.

She listened for footsteps and the creaking of heavy equipment settling in it’s places. Bri would probably either stay exactly on the path, or duck completely into the equipment. Hopefully not the latter, but it was always possible.

Marinette watched for and stepped over the pressure plate that should turn on the lights and sound effects. That should give her an advantage.

She reached the first turn in the hallway, where misters were set up. The mist wasn’t on, but the green lights were. Marinette had officially lost her advantage.

But, as Marinette saw a shadow dart back towards the suit of armour, she also gained one. Marinette took off towards the shadow, preparing to double back in a minute, just enough to throw Bri off.

She didn’t know the Hallway of Horrors.

That became glaringly obvious when she caught another pressure plate, and the suit of armour started grinding into motion. Bri screamed, running sideways away from her hiding spot at its feet. Marinette felt her breath catch, the game ending jarringly.

She spun, vaulted over the fence that kept spectators safe from the machinery, ducked the return swing of the axe, and stopped by Bri’s shaking form.

“Hey, Bri, Nightingale, sweetie, look at me,” Marinette ran her hands from Bri’s shoulders to her elbows and then back up to pat around her neck. “Bridgette, baby, are you okay? Are you bleeding?”

Bri took a great, shuddering breath, and fell forward into Marinette’s chest. Her shaking turned into gasping and then crying. Marinette wrapped her arms around Bri, fingers reaching into her hair.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m sorry, should we go back to the trailer? Or Cole? They’re going to want to know what happened ASAP. Are you bleeding?”

Bri muttered something, and Marinette squoze tighter. “I know, Love, I know. It’s scary. Did you actually get touched? Or hurt when you fell?”

Bri shook her head, still buried in Marinette’s neck.

“Okay. It’s okay, Bridgette. I’ve got you.”

***

Cole tipped down their book when the trailer door opened. Plagg mewled unhappily as they stopped petting him. “How are my favorite lovely ladies?” They smiled, taking in the sight of the girls. And then the smile slipped, because Bri looked like she had been crying, and Marinette was doing that thing where she tried too hard to be okay. Cole closed their book and set it on the table. Plagg hopped to the floor, bristling. “What happened?”

Bri looked up from Marinette’s shoulder and reached for them. Cole took her without thought.

“We were out of bounds in the Hallway of Horrors and I accidentally activated the knight,” Marinette explained quietly, running a hand along Orikko’s back. He was perched by the door in the form of a small songbird. He chirped and pecked at her hand when she stopped.

Meanwhile, Cole nodded. “Are you two okay?”

“Ask Bri!”

Cole raised an eyebrow, even as they turned their head to kiss Bri’s hair. “Are you bruised or bleeding Bridgette?”

“Just scared,” Bridgette promised.

Cole nodded, hugging their child close. “Well, you’re safe now. Do you want to help Tikki and I make dinner?”

“Yes please!” That got Bri to smile, and both Cole and Marinette did in return.

“Cool, come on. Think you can find the measuring spoons?”

Bri snorted. “I remember where they are, Renny!”

Cole turned to Marinette while Bri bounced farther into the trailer. “And you?”

Marinette sighed heavily. “Yeah, I’m fine. It was an accident, but it could have ended badly, Cole.”

“Yeah,” Cole snorted unhappily. “I don’t know the full story yet though, so you’re going to put it out of your mind and make sure none of the Kwami are secretly hiding in the mess hall while Bri and I make our dinner.” Cole opened their arms for a hug. Marinette took it.

“Thanks.”

Cole smiled. They loved their family, little and odd though it was. They looked over at Bri as she started setting out the measuring spoons, and walked over to help, tying up two and half feet of hair as they went. It was unpleasant to find their hair in your food.

Cole ruffled Bri’s as they went. Hers was already in pigtails. “So, should we make mashed potatoes and corn or mashed potatoes and green beans?”

“Corn, duh!” Bri’s duh was dramatic and adorable. Cole grinned.

It would be okay. They still had both girls. Whatever happened, it hadn’t done physical damage.

With their pasts, that was the best Cole could ask for.


	2. Month 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bridgette joins the circus - roughly month seven? maybe five or six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick warning that this got a little out of hand, so minor gore for a triple-homicide and a decent number of gore mentions. Not super in depth or anything, but it's sort of an important plot point.
> 
> Also. Czaar. Czaar is the tiger kwami. I make the rules.

Bridgette woke up to a sick stomach and a visceral sense of wrongness. For a moment, she blinked at the ceiling, the pain in her tummy and chest making her throat tighten in fire and her eyes sting.

Someone was crying. Mom, maybe?

Something  _ popped. _ Bridgette jumped. Mom wasn’t crying anymore.

“Mom?”

Mom didn’t answer. Bridgette sat up, breath coming in choked little gasps that did next to nothing. She was breathing right! She was... Her entire upper half hurt. She needed to go get Mom or Dad. They’d know what to do.

She climbed out of bed, dragging her favorite blanket along with her. She wrapped it up over her shoulders like a cape as she reached the hallway. With her blanket covering her back, she was safe.

The lights in the living room were on. Bridgette called for her parents again, louder this time. In the living room, someone said a bad word. Bridgette flinched. Mom and Dad only used bad words when something really, really bad happened.

“I thought you said the kid wouldn’t be a problem!”

“I didn’t plan on gunshots, Dave!”

Bridgette’s steps faltered. Gunshots? She sped up, worried. Dad had never told her how guns work, but he had said to run if she ever heard them. What happened?

Bridgette reached the entry to the living room, clutching her blanket tightly. She looked around the room and screamed.  _ This was wrong. Wrong! Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. _ Mom said that people need to breathe. Dad said if someone bled too much, they could die. Blood needed to be on the  _ inside, _ not the  _ outside. _

She shook her head, all the uneasiness and pain building up and up as she started to cry. “Mom! Dad!” She started towards them, but one of the others in the room moved to intercept her and Bridgette jerked back, stumbling on her blanket’s edge. She stumbled into a spin, dropping her blanket so she could run. There were two more pops  _ \- gunshots - _ but she was already through the door and turned down the hallway. The apartment complex was three stories, with Bridgette and her parents on the second. She ran to the stairs, taking them with practice best gotten from tag.

The bad person from inside was following her, yelling. Bridgette kept running, ignoring what they were saying. She needed- to get away? She-

What did she need? This wasn’t something Mom or Dad ever taught her about. Dad taught her about kidnappers and the buddy system and spaghetti sauce and counting coins, but never- never what to do if he- he- he-

Bridgette choked.

Her dad was gone, wasn’t he?

Her head hurt. Her heart hurt. She was crying. She was hot and cold and scared and hurt and- and-

And Mom had taught her about friends and rules and getting help if she ever felt sick without knowing why and how to paint; Mom had taught her what to do if she got lost, not if Bridgette lost Mom.

Bridgette balked at the edge of the road. She had left the apartment complex. The field on the other side of the road had people tonight. Bridgette was shaking. Mom said to get help if she was lost.

Did this count?

_ Her parents were gone. _ What counted after that?

Again, the Bad Man said something behind her. Bridgette took off running.

It was dark and she didn’t look before crossing the street and that was bad and Mom would be upset, but- Mom couldn’t be upset anymore.

Bridgette ran faster. There were enough people here, someone had to be able to help, right?

***

Officer Merdith Argento was not a fan of the night shift. Night and Morning shifts often had the more gruesome cases, because most criminals liked to commit crimes under the cover of darkness.

The call they were just given was a compound call, three different neighbors calling in gunshots and shouting. At least five shots.

Argento and her partner went in quietly, guns cocked as they watched for signs of a confrontation. First floor, nothing. Second floor, blood.

They made eye contact and Feris took the lead. There was a body half in the hallway, male, fifties on first glance. Inside the apartment were two more, a man and a woman. Argento went through the bedrooms while Feris took the kitchen and bathroom.

They were the only living things in the apartment.

Feris signaled for the crime scene bag, letting Argento call it in as he ducked out to grab it. “Triple homicide,” Argento sighed. She rattled off the address and continued to look around the apartment. There was a picture on the wall of the two victims and a little girl.

Argento hoped she was okay.

***

Cole watched as the crowd thinned, most guests filing into the bigtop in preparation of the ten’o’clock show. This was the actual part of the circus that mattered. The part where people could get hurt, but also get the biggest thrill.

Someone tapped their leg.

Cole looked down. “Hey there.” It was a child, around Ginny’s size and probable age (four and a half), with loose, knotty black hair and - worryingly - cat pajamas. Rarely were kids brought to the circus in pajamas, although a few families had. “How can I help you?” They noticed the tear streaks about then too.

“I-” the child looked around worriedly. “There were Bad Men. I need-” They made a face. “Can you call the police?”

Cole crouched down. “I can, but I need some more information first, okay?” They nodded. Cole was relatively sure their eyes were blue, like Marinette’s. “Good. What’s your name?”

“Bridgette.”

“That’s a pretty name,” Cole smiled. “Can I call you Bri?” She nodded. “Thank you, Bri. How old are you?”

“Five, six in February.”

“Awesome! Five is a wonderful age to be. Would it be okay with you if I called your parents first, and let them stay with you while I call the police?” That was apparently the wrong thing to say, because Bri started crying. It wasn’t huge or noisy, but it was there. She started shaking slightly, breaths coming uneven. “Okay,” Cole said quickly, reaching out. “Okay, we don’t have to call them. Did they hurt you? Are they working with the Bad Man?” Those were, In Cole’s slightly biased opinion, the worst type of people to run into.

Bridgette shook her head, opening her mouth a few times before shutting it again. “Mom and Dad are- were- never-” She shook her head again, faster this time. Cole waited for her finish. “There was blood,” Bri said finally, quietly. “I think they’re dead.” And then Bridgette started shaking and gasping again, eyes switching between wide with horror and scrunched with pain.

Cole reached out. “Oh Bridgette, I’m so sorry. Come here- can I hug you?” Bri stumbled forward into their arms. Cole wrapped them fully around her, closing their eyes for a moment to mourn. And then they opened them again, because someone had to keep an eye on Bridgette. They rubbed her back, inordinately glad that they were hard to see, well-hidden in shadows, and that Bridgette had stumbled upon  _ them _ instead of someone else who could hurt her.

“Cole, opening number in- five?” Cole glanced up at Marinette. Their partner made a face, asking without words who they were holding.

“Hey Mari,” Cole said quietly. “This is Bridgette. Can you improvise for me? I’m going to have to skip that dance.” Cole was not going to leave Bridgette in the hands of anyone except the Police.

Marinette, bless her heart, nodded. “Of course. Do you want any of the…  _ pets?” _

Cole nodded. “Bri, what’s your favorite animal?”

“Tiger.” The response was wet and squeaky.

“Can you send Czaar and Plagg, please?”

“Absolutely.” Marinette nodded and left at a speed barely under running. Cole returned their full attention to Bridgette and the matter at hand.

They needed to call for an ambulance for Bridgette’s parent’s, hoping vainly that they were still alive. Who knew how long it had taken for Bri to find Cole? And before that, how long had her parents been hurt?

Cole took a deep breath. They would call the police as soon as Bridgette let go, and then make sure she was safe until the police got there. It was vague, but it was a plan. The semi-familiar padding of paws interspersed with the fading sounds of human footsteps as the disguised Kwami came near. Cole looked up and gave them a faked grin. Bri’s crying had started to die out again, so they figured it was as good a time as any. “Do you want to pet a tiger? My friend Mari has a bunch of animals, and they’re all really, really nice.”

Bri pulled out of the hug, and Cole let her. She smiled wetly at Czaar as he came closer. “I can pet it?”

“Yes, you can pet him,” Cole promised. They pulled out their phone as Bri got lost momentarily in Czaar’s fur. Plagg came around the other side and purred against Cole’s head. “Hey Plagg. Can you make sure no strangers come near?” Plagg growled. They took that as a yes. “Thank you.” Cole dialed the emergency number for their current area. “Hello. I’m at the M&C’s Traveling Circus set up on Taurus and Seventh street. I have a five year old, black hair blue eyes, possibly Caucasian? Bridgette, I don't have a last name. She says someone attacked her parents.”

_ “Were they in the circus when it happened?” _

Cole shrugged. “Half a second, I’ll ask.” They pulled the phone away from their mouth. “Hey, Bridgette? I know it’s scary to think about, but I need to know where you last saw your parents. Do you remember?”

Bri curled in farther than should be possible, still holding onto Czaar. “At home.”

“That’s very good, except I don’t know where your home is. Can you tell me that too?”

“Across the street.”

“In the apartments?”

Bri nodded silently. Cole smiled and nodded back. “Thank you, that’s all I need. Czaar really likes his ears scratched, do you think you can reach?” Bridgette nodded again, seeming lighter with her thoughts on a lighter topic. She stretched and Czaar let her. Cole moved the phone back to their mouth. “She says they live in the apartment complex across the street. I don’t know more than that. Can you get a unit down, at least to double-check?”

_ “They’re on their way. Can you keep an eye on the girl?” _

“Yes. She won’t be with anyone I don’t trust until your guys are here.”

_ “Good. Can you stay on the line?” _

Cole pursed their lips. “I think we’re both safe now, would that clog up the lines?”

_ “Are you absolutely sure you’re safe? Whoever attacked her parents could very well be after her too.” _

“I’m aware,” Cole promised. “We’re out of sight of the crowds, but in the bigtop, and I have two trained animals with us in case they find us anyway.”

_ “Okay. I need your name, and how to find you, and then you can hang up.” _

“Deal. I’m one of the aerialists, Cole Calmeris. Thank you.”

_ “Goodbye. Stay safe, the unit should be arriving.” _

“We will.”

Cole watched as Bridgette melted further into Czaar. In their opinion, the real magic of Kwami was their animalistic ability to relax people. They were loath to make Bri move, but while Martin would let them duck out of most of the group numbers, there was no way they would be able to get out of their actual performance on the hoops. Their silk dance was up in the air. Cole needed to talk to Mari and Martin.

“Hey, Bri?”

Bri turned to look at them, and Cole felt their heart sink as Bri’s face fell. They wished they weren’t the reason for that expression.

“I need to go talk to some of my friends over there-” Cole pointed at the shadow pocket where they usually gathered inbetween acts. “-do you want to come with me?”

Bri nodded, running over to grab Cole’s hand. Their heart melted as they held hers in return. Cole called for Plagg and Czaar to follow them, and started leading Bri through the pathways underneath the bleachers. When they reached Marinette’s corner, Bri waited a few moments while Marinette sidled over, and then stopped watching Cole in favor of watching the Bennets throw knives at each other while flipping around. Truly, that family was something amazing.

***

Argento hit her radio with her shoulder. “Good to hear, thanks.” Someone had found a probable match for the kid, and called her in. The girl had ran to the circus across the street. Argento moved smoother, lighter now that she knew someone in this mess wasn’t doomed yet.

She would swing by and pick up the girl before she wrote her reports.

***

“Bri?”

Bridgette jumped. She had stopped paying attention to the others around her, too caught up in the softness of the tiger’s fur and the beauty of the people on the stage. First they were flipping and dancing around knives, then stacking on each other, and now someone was blowing fire! She looked at Cole. They had let her hold their hand the entire time. She hummed, not trusting her voice to do anything without tears.

Or her head, apparently.

“I’m up next, do you think you can stay here with the Bennets?” Cole gestured to five people. Bridgette marked them off as Mom, Dad, Big Brother, Little Brother, and Little Sister. “I won’t be gone that long, and you’ll be able to see me the entire time.”

Bri squeezed Cole’s hand. She didn’t want to be alone.

“Czaar and Plagg will stay with you too. I promise, you won’t be any less safe.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be fast, I promise.”

Bri nodded, and Cole sent her a little half-smile. “Do you want me to introduce you before I go?” She nodded again. Cole nodded back. “Mrs. Bennet is Haylee. Mr. Bennet is Vincent. The boys are Vinnie and Will, and their girl is Ginny. Guys, this is Bri.”

“Hi Bri!” Ginny was the first over. She held out her hand. “It’s cool to meet you!”

Bri smiled weakly and shook her hand. Cole smiled at them again, and then pulled their hand out of Bri’s. “I’ll be back soon.”

Bri watched them go, feeling tears and panic climb back up their throat. Ginny tapped their shoulder. “Did you know Cole can fold in half?” Bri shook her head. “Well, they can. I’ll bet you’ll love seeing them dance.”

The old man in the funky hat went back into the middle of the floor ring to announce the next act. Bri didn’t listen, instead looking for where Cole had gone. The spotlight moved, and Cole was sparkling in the center of the sky. Bri gasped.

They looked beautiful.

***

Feris and Argento watched the other agents leave. Feris made a face. “I hate murder,” he announced.

“Everyone should,” Argento sighed. “We need to go find their daughter.”

“Lead the way,” Feris hummed.

Argento nodded and started walking. Bridgette didn’t have to go that far, she and Feris could see the circus from here.

***

_ Mom and Dad would love this. _ It was a horribly sad thought, but one that was definitely true. Bri let herself cry more as she watched Cole and the red sky lady fly on soft strings. It was special. Bri didn’t know how to say what it made her feel, but it made her feel unique. She wished she had come without running.

It would be more fun that way.

Cole and Sky Lady spun down the strings at a fast pace that made Bri’s heart jump and her breathing go funny again.

But the two got off okay, and bowed. They looked like dragonflies! The spotlight jumped, and Cole was gone again as someone huge showed up instead. Bri wished she knew how they did that.

Cole appeared next to Bri, with Sky Lady a little behind them. They came over and sat right down behind Czaar and beside Bri. “You okay?”

Bridgette nodded and reached for Cole’s hand again. They let her take it.

***

This was something new. Well, most things were still new to Marinette,  _ she _ was new, but this was extra new. Cole had… acquired a child. Bridgette.

Marinette had no idea how it happened, but she was going to try not to judge. Besides, Bri looked like she needed someone, and if Cole was going to be that someone, Marinette would support them wholeheartedly.

Especially after Cole explained the situation. There was no way Marinette would say no. She didn’t have the power to veto it in the first place, but it was the thought that counted. Especially if Bri was actually a witness to murder. No way was anyone going to kill on their watch.

Marinette already had Plagg and Czaar with Cole and Bri, but she called Wayzz and Orikko too. Orikko because he was a very noisy animal, and Wayzz… because she liked Wayzz, and if worst came to worst, she would be okay with revealing magic.

She felt horrible enough that Bri was witness to assault and/or murder as it was. There shouldn’t have been any murders. Marinette, a literal (ex)superhero was in the neighborhood!

She took a breath. She was making this about her. Marinette ducked under the tent flap, following Cole and Bri as they worked their way to the entrance to wait for Police. A man, white with short hair in a color she couldn’t see hurried over to Cole. Marinette tensed alongside the four kwami.

“Oh there you are, Julia!” the man said loudly, holding out his hands. “Thank you so much for keeping her safe. C’mere, Jules. Come to daddy.”

Marinette ducked closer around two more attendees.

Bridgette leaned away from the hands, farther into Cole. “No! You’re not my Dad!”

Yep, something was wrong. He needed to be removed from the area, ASAP.

“I think you have the wrong kid,” Cole said, tone cool and collected. That meant either Cole had missed the signs (as if!) or was trying to bluff their way back out of the situation. Go Cole!

“No, I have the right one. Give me the kid.” Marinette’s heart stuttered when she saw the gun. Oh that was definitely not someone who should be here. 

“Put the gun down,” Cole hissed. Their voice was less smooth, understandably.

“Give me the girl.”

“No.”

Cole ducked to the left as Bri screamed again, and Marinette took that as her opening.

The gun was down by his stomach, a position only really good for intimidation. She hooked her wrist around his and sent it flying. A flash of orange in her peripherals told her Orikko went after it. A kick to his ankle and an elbow to his head, and he was on the floor. Marinette grabbed an arm as he went down, twisting it and herself until she had his shoulder so far back it was in danger of being dislocated and her knee on his spine.

“It’s okay, Bri.” Marinette heard Cole murmur. “Mari got him.” Marinette looked up, and sent a tense smirk Cole’s way. Bri was crying again as she looked at Marinette and whoever this guy was.

“What’s the commotion?”

And here were the police, at last. Marinette grinned up at them snarkily. “I think you’d call it a hostile takedown. He pulled a gun on my partner.” She clicked her tongue, and Orikko started making noise as he dragged the gun back into the area.

“Nice moves,” one of the officers said. “I’m Officer Feris, this is my partner Officer Argento.”

“Nice to meet you,” Marinette hummed. She leaned back onto her empty foot, rolling her weight upwards as she dragged the gun guy with her.

“I didn’t know circus performers learned self-defense,” Argento said, raising an eyebrow as Marinette shoved the gun guy into her arms.

“I grew up in Paris.”

***

They had at least one person involved, they found the girl in a decent state, all things considered, and the forensics were going to get on the evidence from the crime scene tomorrow.

Argento looked at Bridgette, a five year old who had found her parent’s bodies and then been hunted for at least an hour afterwards. A girl who was clinging to the circus performer who had called them in, and running her hands almost obsessively through a housecat’s fur. The girl who started bawling again when she was told that she needed to go with the police officers.

Argento knelt down beside Cole and Bridgette. “We might be able to figure out a different solution,” she offered. It wasn’t protocol, but… well. “How long is the circus in town?”

“Another week, at least,” Cole answered.

“Would you be able to watch her for that long?”

They looked at her with wide eyes. “Are you sure?”

“I think it’s worth trying. She definitely likes you, and she deserves someone she feels safe with.”

Cole hummed. “Bri, would you be okay with that instead? Staying here with me until they find you family to live with?”

Bridgette nodded rapidly. “Yes! I don’t want to go anywhere else!”

“Okay,” Cole said. “Okay. Then I’ll make sure everything is worked out, and we can just do what we did earlier, deal?” Bridgette nodded again. Cole looked up at Argento. “What paperwork do I need to fill out?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regularly scheduled fluff will return... eventually.


	3. Month 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feat. brushing over unrealistic legalities and getting a bit deeper into the reason this fic is tagged non-romantic coparenting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a farther out, more unrelated snippet before we got to another of the Important parts of this, (cause I have plans for at least four vv important snippets) but then it turned out Today was June 27th and that's a really important family anniversary for me so I decided to publish a similarish focused snippet.

“I want to adopt Bri.” Cole held their breath, staring at the clouds without seeing them. Marinette was laying beside them, spread on the grass like the oddity she was.

“Okay.”

Cole laughed. “Just like that?”

Marinette hummed. “You love her. I think she loves you. Everyone will be happy to have her as a permanent fixture in the circus.”

“And you’ll be okay with that?”

“It’s your life, Cole.”

“I know.” They took a heavy breath, watching the skies. “But you’re important to me, and I want your input.”

“I think it's a wonderful idea.” It was quiet for a few minutes as Cole basked in the jubilance of the conversation so far.

Eventually though, they had to speak again. “I was also wondering,” they trailed off to take a breath. Marinette hummed inquiringly. Spit it out, Cole! “If you wanted to do the same?”

Marinette shifted beside them. “Adopt her too?” They nodded. Marinette was quiet for a bit, but this silence wasn’t nearly as relaxed. “I… I think I could. I’ve always wanted a kid, and Bridgette is truly wonderful. Are you sure it’s allowed?”

“When I looked up the UK laws, they said unmarried couples were eligible. I know we’re not a couple, but it kinda feels like we’re her parents.”

“I think you’re right.” Marinette almost sounded breathless. “Yes. Let’s do this.”

Cole laughed, too happy to just smile. This was amazing. They were going to officially have a family. On paper. With their best friend and favorite child ever. Life was amazing.

***

“Hey Bri?”

The girl in question hummed, not looking up from where she was coloring a…  _ representation  _ of Czaar in his smaller, more inside-friendly form.

“I know this is-” Cole took a breath, hoping they were doing this right. “-soon. But Mari and I were wondering about adopting you.”

Bri did look up at that. She turned to Cole, dark braids flopping behind her head as she tilted it. “What?”

“Adopting.”

“What is it?”

Oh. Cole hadn’t considered that. Bri was five! It made sense she didn’t know what adoption was. “Adoption is what it’s called when someone who isn’t family by blood becomes a parent anyway.”

Bri was quiet. Cole waited, because Bri was often quiet. They didn’t know if it was a trauma response or just How She Is, but they rolled with it. After a minute where Cole wasn’t quite breathing right Bri spoke again. “You’re already my Renny, and that’s like a mom or dad, right?”

Cole nodded, relief sweeping through them in a river tinged with sadness. “Yes.”

Bri nodded. “You can adopt me.”

Cole smiled.

***

It had taken work, paperwork, inspections, interviews, and a little extra fortune from the kwami, but it had happened.

Cole carefully tucked the legal certificates and copies of the last bit of paperwork into their bag to be taken home. Marinette was chattering happily to Bri as they walked out of the courthouse, headed out to town before going home. Cole closed their bag and reached for their daughter’s hand. Bri took it as soon as it was in range. They smiled.

“So! Ice Cream or Brownies? I need a vote.”

“Ice Cream,” Bri announced.

Cole nodded their agreement. “Yes. Let’s find a good ice cream place around here. And I mean  _ good, _ not that cheap flavored ice Americans favor.”

Marinette started to laugh. Bri giggled along. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The part about unmarried couples being able to adopt? Totally changed my plot for the better. I only did cursory research, and this is one of the two I read. https://www.gov.uk/child-adoption
> 
> Yes, Cole is an Ice Cream snob. I make (some of) the rules.


	4. Nightingale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Month 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brother was getting married and that's why I dropped off the face of the earth. I'm getting back into it, but for now you can enjoy a short little Bridgette and Ginny-focused snippet
> 
> @imshookandbi has intelectual rights to both Nightingale and Sparklight

It’s dark outside, but Bri isn’t scared of the dark tonight. She’s been getting less scared now that she has Mama and Ginny and Renny and the Kwami at night, but tonight she isn’t even looking outside.

She’s focused on the inside, where Renny and Mama are starting to dance. Renny is in their suit, yellow hair tied back in the same very pretty set of knots that Bri was wearing. Mama had done both Bri and Cole’s earlier. Mama’s black hair is in her own ponytail. It’s going to snarl, Bri knows.

She watches as Renny takes the stage, beautiful as they call attention with blue glitter and _beautiful_ flips, twisting around their black and blue hoops like water.

Bri can’t help her smile.

She has the best parents.

Renny’s hoops start to raise, and Bri nudges Ginny excitedly. “Here comes Mama!” She whisper-shrieks. Ginny laughs with her.

As Bri knew would happen, Mama swings out on potato white silks, opening the rest of the act. The cream secondary silk is hanging off to the side, just where Renny set it up earlier, and Bri points excitedly to where Renny is sliding across the top lines of the tent towards it. Renny ties themselves securely in a starters hold, and just in time for Mama to swing by and pull the second silk set into action.

Ginny oohs, finally seeing how Renny manages to magically move from one part of their act into another.

Bri smiles. Ginny is her best friend, and it’s so much fun to share the secrets of their performing arts. One day, Ginny and Bri will be leading these acts, and the crowds will scream and dream without the knowledge that this is learned, that this takes years upon years of practice.

One day, Ginny and Bri will perform while their parents watch on the sidelines, prouder than words can say.

One day isn’t today.

She smiles wider. Mama and Renny are nearing the middle of their act, and Bri bites her lip as they jump, Renny flipping twice before they tie into their moving silk. Mama doesn’t flip, she just twists.

“Bridgette, Virginia,” Bri looks away from her parents to smile at Ginny’s mom.

“Yes, Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Do either of you want more glitter? Or lipstick?”

Ginny bounces forward and asks for lipstick. Bri follows, looking back up at her parents one more time. “I have to ask about lipstick, so no thank you, but yes please to glitter!”

Mrs. Bennet is smiling as they go along, carefully sliding black lipstick across Ginny’s lips. Ginny gives a blinding smile anyway, dark lipstick unable to mute it. Bri holds very still when Mrs. Bennet comes to carefully dot sequins by the corners of her eyes and brush red and blue glitter on her neck and cheeks.

“You two are going to steal the spotlight,” Mrs. Bennet says tearfully, brushing Ginny’s forehead even though her brown hair is tied up like Bri’s.

“Thank you,” Bri says softly. She can’t wait for Mama and Renny to get down so she can see their smiles.

“Alright,” Mrs. Bennet breathes out. “Go wait for your ques.”

Ginny salutes and they run back to the edge of the tent together. She can’t wait!

They get there in time to see Cole and Marinette start spinning insanely quickly down the silks, and Bri holds her breath, even though she’s only seen this part get messed up once. They stop in time though, and dismount with floofy motions that sent the silks popping around in a really, really pretty way.

Bri relaxes and smiles again. Renny and Mama are bowing. Bri smiles bright as she can, and waits for them to leave the ground.

Tristan the Strongman takes the spotlight, and Cole and Marinette slip through the shadows until they’re in front of Bri. She smiles. “Hi.”

Mama looks ready to cry. She kneels down and cups her own face, the red and black glitter not smudging. Renny is smiling wide and proud, eyes also watery. Bri reaches up for a hug as Cole moves into kneeling, arms wide. They pile on, and Grandpa Martin is talking loudly in the ring. Mama pulls back first. “I love you. You’re going to do great. I’ll run out and grab my camera too, so we can hang pictures on the wall. I love you.”

“And I’m not leaving the ring until you’re back in my arms, and then we can celebrate, alright Honey?”

Bri smiles and tugs her parents into another quick hug. “I love you! I’ll smile at you, too.”

Cole grins. “We’ll be smiling back. Love you, baby.”

Grandpa Martin opens again. “You think that’s cool? Well, take a breath folks, because next up you’re going to see two new helping acts, The Nightingale and Sparklight!” The crowd roars again, and Ginny grabs Bri’s hand with a smile.

“We’re up,” she squeals. They take a breath in unison, and step out. The spotlight is harsh, but they had practiced. This isn’t One Day, but it is the First Day.

Nightingale boosts Sparklight onto her edge of the dumbbell, and jumps so she can grab her own side before twist-flipping up and onto it. She sits down onto the stick beside her edge, smiling and waving at the crowd. Tristan makes a slow spin, showing off the girls and their sparkly suits. Nightingale’s has a feather-like skirt that Mama spent ages on, and she loves it.

After two circles, one simple and one where Tristan was pumping the dumbbell and the girls, Nightingale and Sparklight stand up.

This is going to be the scary part. Nightingale looks past the crowd until she can see blue and red glitter, and then she smiles again. She imagines Mama taking pictures, and knows they’re there if she falls.

Nightingale makes eye contact with Sparklight, and they start walking towards the center of the dumbbell rod. Sparklight grabs Nightingale’s hand, and they both take a breath again. This is the hard part. Nightingale mouths the counts, and on five both girls jerk to the side, offsetting balance as they lean out. It’s a few quick, long-practiced steps for them to spin, and then Sparklight is on Nightingale’s side and Nightingale is on Sparklight’s.

They turn to the crowd, still holding hands, and bow. Another quick toe-twirl and they bow to the other side. The cheers are loud and erupting.

The dumbbell is lowered, and they again use each other to keep balance as they go. Once Tristan has them safely on the floor, they step off and split. The three bow together, and have a minute for applause before the spotlight switches to the next act.

Ginny and Bri rush out of the ring, into the waiting arms of their respective parents. Bri ends up on Renny’s shoulders, smiling brighter than ever before. The rush of feelings from the lights and the crowd is most comparable to when she had been running from the bad people, but this time it isn’t scary. It’s a happy rush.

She hugs Cole’s head and holds Marinette’s hand, and keeps smiling even when her cheeks hurt.

One Day, she will be in the air, flying like her parents. Today though? Today she saw the crowd, and performed with someone she loves and trusts.

Today, Bridgette Calimeris-Cheng is Nightingale.


	5. Year -2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole and kiddos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I almost wrote Ginny like normal before i realized she'd be _two _and therefore couldn't do what I had planned. Anyways, have ages for all of our sanity:  
>  Jerome - 11  
> Callie - 9  
> Will - 9  
> Vinnie - 5  
> Ginny - 2  
> This is also the age gap to follow for all other chapters since I jump around the timeline.__
> 
> Also there's an actual conversation with kids about Cole being nonbinary and I'm nervous? As a cis person I'm scared of doing something wrong so if something bugs you please tell me. Cole is really set in their skin and confident about themself, but it's still a topic I'm worried about misrepresenting.

Year -2 / Month 1

Cole twisted their leg over their head and around the hoop, quiet aside from the reverberating hums and groans as the hoop adjusted to their weight distributions. While Cole was quiet, the tent wasn’t. Below them, there was the shifting of the fire-dancers doing their own rehearsal, although that was mostly drowned out by the vocal sound effects made by Vinnie Bennet and Jerome Perez as they played heroes. Cole loosened their hands and jerked their torso into a twist as Vinnie started a slow, choking montage. They leant back as the hoop spun, farther and farther until they were hanging by the crook of their knee.

Jerome started play-sobbing, wondering loudly and aimlessly how his dear teammate could be felled so easily. Cole reached for the floor, even though it was over a dozen feet down. Their pink shirt flopped a bit with the movement.

Jerome promised Vinnie vengeance.

Cole found the atmosphere pretty wonderful. They had come to the circus only months ago, but they had slipped into the ranks quickly. They weren’t considered family yet, and a best friend they did not have, but Cole was here and it was a literal dream come true (it was also payoff from  _ years _ spent practicing, and Cole hoped to never grow out of the visceral sense of fulfillment that gave them).

It wasn’t a castle, or a marriage, or anything that fell under the nuclear family or lifestyle umbrella. Cole hadn’t dreamed about those since they were very, very young.

When Cole had watched  _ The Show _ so many years ago, so many they couldn’t give you a date, their parents had been delighted at the resulting determination. Cole was a rare case, one of the children who caught a dream and kept it throughout everything - school, determining their gender, dating, peer pressure, watching the economic jumps and falls, even when Cole explored other hobbies, they always came back to acrobatics. More specifically, aerial hoops.

Vinnie had taken to playing the villain that killed his original character. One of the adults on the ground called out for them to be careful.

Obviously, Cole’s parents were supportive. Not that they ever weren’t, not really. A painfully memorable attempt to set up a betrothal contract at Cole’s request was a wonderful example of that. (That was still a party story, to Cole’s neverending embarrassed amusement. They’re waiting for the chance to tell their new coworkers about that).

Cole pulled up, arms curling until they grabbed the hoop. Cole pulled themselves up the rest of the way, ending sitting up straight. They adjusted their hands around the top, near the rope that kept it in the air.

Vinnie screamed about blood.

Cole swung, pushing off their seat and hanging loosely for a moment. A few kicks for momentum, and then were up by their hands, feet in the air. Cole held that pose for a rep of ten seconds before tipping forwards (backwards?), bending their elbows so they would land inside the hoop and not dangling on the side.

Jerome’s victorious cackles stopped as three more joined the kids on the bigtop floor. Ginny and Will Bennet, followed by Callie Jensen.

Cole took a breath and kicked lax legs. They looked down, overcome again with the rush of pure elation at the fact that they were actually here at last.

The group of kids that had convened split, and a haughty yell of “Catch me if you can!” lent the idea of tag or another chase-oriented game. As vocal pops and screams started up in earnest, Cole decided it wasn’t tag. The firedancers had left.

It was probably past official rehearsal time, if no other ‘adult’ was still here. Despite that, Cole didn’t move. They sat there, listening to the kids run, the sounds coming across extra loud in the tent’s peace.

After a few minutes, Cole shimmied forward, twisted, and dropped, using their momentum to to drag the hoop down a foot. Once they were sufficiently lowered, they switched to one of the free hanging ropes they had used to climb up here. It only took minutes for them to climb down using the same twisting steps.

For a moment, Cole considered going back to their trailer. Then they considered going to find another set of adults in a more common area. And then Callie made a very loud, very dramatic gurgling sound as she dropped, and Will cackles, a nine year old victorious and aware of it. Cole slowed their pace to watch.

On the other side of the tent floor, Ginny shrieked as Vinnie caught her and tickled her ‘to death’.

“That’s not fair,” Callie said with a dry sigh, flopping on her belly in the dirt. “My only teammate is two, and there are more of you! Girls vs boys doesn’t work.”

“Well nobody wants to be on Ginny’s team instead. She’s two,” Jerome agreed. “Which means we’d be running the team ourselves.”

“So you just negate it to my job?” The second nine year old rolled her eyes. “How dare.”

“Easily,” Jerome promised, mock-serious.

“Why don’t you put Ginny on a team of three?” Cole asked, taking the girl in question’s wave as an invitation to the conversation. 

“Because we were playing boys versus girls,” Vinnie told her, as matter of fact as he could.

“Hey, do you wanna join in?” Callie asked, rolling over. “That way it’d be three on three!”

Well, it wasn’t as though Cole had anything better to do. They’d just have to make sure they weren’t sending the wrong impression. “I’d love to, but I can't play on an all girl team."

Callie squinted. "Why not?"

"I'm nonbinary.”

“What’s the definition of nonbinary?” Vinnie asked, tilting his head. Cole grins at the question - they’re still new, but Vinnie wants to be a walking dictionary and it’s frankly adorable to see. And oh so very useful to explain things.

“It means I’m not made of only two things. This specific context, it’s a third gender. I’m not a girl or a boy, I’m somewhere in the middle, and we use the term nonbinary to explain that.”

Callie squinted again, before: “So if we tried to play by gender teams, you’d be on your own?”

“Yeah.” Cole nodded. It was a good way to think of it.

“So, three on three?” Will offered.

“I call teaming with Will and Callie!” Jerome shouted, moving suddenly to stand by the two. Callie took his hand to stand up with an indulgent ‘fine.’

Vinnie stuck his tongue out at the older kids before turning to Cole and the toddler Ginny. “Do you know how to play spies and heroes?”

“Not a clue,” Cole said honestly.

Vinnie nodded as though expecting this. What a smart kid. “I’ll explain at the base. Ginny, Cole’s on our team too, come!” Vinnie took off running and Ginny tried to follow, although moving on smaller legs. Cole giggled, looking around to try and guess where this ‘base’ was.

Had they mentioned their life was wonderful?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If your chapters are ever too short, rewrite them. The og draft was 784, I rewrote the chapter, added more emotion and details, changed up the dialogue flow a bit, etc, and now it's 1172
> 
> 8/29/20

**Author's Note:**

> The secondary explanation for this story is that I got into a mood(TM) and so I am spitefully forcing good into the world through writing.


End file.
